Attaching device for stoppers.



No. 733,438. 7 PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

Y A.. H. TATUM.

ATTAGHING DEVICE FOR STOPPERS.

APPLIOATION nun) my 15.1902. I

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ATTORNEYS Wmuzssss: QQMb a No. 733,4s.

UNITED STATES Patented uly l4,

PATENT ()FFICE.

ALBERT H. TATUM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. ASSIGNOR TO WHlTALL TATlJM COMPANY, OF NEW YoRK, N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

ATTACHING DEVICE FOR STOPPERS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of'Letters Patent N 0. 733,438, dated July 14, 1903'.

Application filed May 15, 1902. Serial Na 1 07,428. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. TATUM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county,and State 5 ofNew York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Attaching Devices for Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to attaching devices for stoppers, and particularly those uscd'in connection with hot-water bottles or the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple device of the above-indicated class which will be located mainly within the receptacle and which will be so constructed as to prevent an accidental separation of the stopper from the receptacle, while permitting these parts to be removed from each other, if desired; and another object of my invention is to so construct the device that it will not be liable to injure the rubber or other substance of which the bottle or receptacle is made.

The accompanying drawings show one form of my invention as applied to a hot-water bottle.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the upper portion of a hot-water bag or bottle with my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2, an

0 elevation of the stopper-holding ring drawn upon an enlarged scale, and Fig. 3 a plan of such ring.

A is the top of the hot-water bottle, provided with a plug B, into which screws a stop- 5 per 0, carrying at its bottom a washer or valve 0, adapted to become seated on the apertured bottom 13' of the plug B. These parts may be of the usual or of any approved construction.

At the center of the stopper-bottom is suitably attached a chain D or an equivalent flexible connection, the lower end of which is attached to an eye E on the stopper-holding ring E. This ring consists of one piece of 5 wire or similar material and has the eye E formed at its central portion, While the ends are curved in substantially oval shape, and the extremities E E pass each other side by side and extend within the oval outline of the ring-body. The material out of which ring E is made is sufficiently elastic to allow the eX- tremities E E to be moved relatively to each other. The diameter of the ring-bodyis greater than the aperture in the plug-bottom B, so that when the stopper is unscrewedand pulled out the ring will not be able to pass through the plug-bottom, and thus the'stopper will remain connected with the receptacle. The accidental separation of the stopper from the receptacle will thus be prevented. When, however, it is desired to entirely remove the stopper, the user will pull strongly upon the chain D, so as to cause the ring-bodyE to be compressed sufiiciently for its passage through the aperture in the plug-bottom. The advantage of having the extremities E 1 1 within the outline of the ring-body is twofold: First, the liability of these extremities to catch on the plug-bottom when it is desired to withdraw the stopper is diminished, and, second, the body of the ring by projecting beyond said extremities prevents their contact with the walls of the receptacle and consequently injury to said walls.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with'a stopper and an apertured element into which said stopperis adapted to fit, of a flexible connection attached to the bottom or inner end of the stopper, and a contractile stopper-holding ring secured to the inner end of said flexible connection and normally of a diameter greater than the passage or aperture in the stopperholding element, said ring comprising an eye by means of which it is attached to said fiexible connection, and a substantially oval body with curved extremities which are located within the outline of the ring-body.

2. A receptacle having a stopper-receiving mouth, in combination with a stopper ar- 99 ranged to fit said mouth, a flexible connection attached to the inner end of the stopper, and a contractile ring attached to the inner portion of said connection, and provided with an approximately oval body, and with free ex- 5 tremities which lie within the outline of said body.

3. The combination, with a stopper, of a flexible connection attached to the inner end of the stopper, and a stopper-holding ring'ot' 100 such a diameter as to normally prevent withdrawal of the stopper from the receptacle,

said ring comprising an eye attached to said flexible connection, an approximately oval body with portions lying side by side, and free extremities that lie within the outline of 5 the ring-body, the latter being of elastic material so that the ring may contract to allow of its being withdrawn from the receptacle.

4. The combination, with a stopper, of a flexible connection attached to the inner end I0 of the stopper, and a contractile stopper-holding ring secured to said flexible connection; and provided with elastic end members overlapping so as to lie side by side.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. TATUM.

Witnesses:

G. H. LESTER, EUGENE EBLE. 

